Discussion
Our cat didn't come back after she went out Monday night. She normally comes back at around 6:00 am but didn't. We didn't worry too much as a couple of times she's not come back but turns up a few hours later but as the days have passed and the temperature dropped it's looking worse and worse.
We live in a small development of 5 houses in the country and only have one road nearby about a quarter of a mile away. We've never seen her on it but have checked anyway but can't find any road kill in about half a mile either side of our drive. I've checked all garages and outbuildings to no avail and have checked at a local cattery. We've left notes to all the neighbours and put one in the local pub.
There are two other cats nearby, one a small one on the local farm who we rarely see and a large Tom at a neighbours. We saw the Tom today and he appears to have a big scratch on his face. We're starting to think they may have fought and our moggy, being half the size, lost. The cats don't get on but it tends to be our cat chasing off the larger on from our garden. He larger cat tends to be very chilled.
Has anyone else any experience of cats running away? Any other things we should do and how long before we give up hope?
We live in a small development of 5 houses in the country and only have one road nearby about a quarter of a mile away. We've never seen her on it but have checked anyway but can't find any road kill in about half a mile either side of our drive. I've checked all garages and outbuildings to no avail and have checked at a local cattery. We've left notes to all the neighbours and put one in the local pub.
There are two other cats nearby, one a small one on the local farm who we rarely see and a large Tom at a neighbours. We saw the Tom today and he appears to have a big scratch on his face. We're starting to think they may have fought and our moggy, being half the size, lost. The cats don't get on but it tends to be our cat chasing off the larger on from our garden. He larger cat tends to be very chilled.
Has anyone else any experience of cats running away? Any other things we should do and how long before we give up hope?
She could be laying low, one of ours was missing for 3 days and was only locked in a neighbours garage but for some reason didn't reply to our calls until the 3rd day. We'd walked past that garage countless times just repeatedly searching for her before she called out back to us. This could especially be the case with yours if she is frightened/ spooked. It's unlikely she would have run far from home after a confrontation with a cat she is already familiar with, even if they don't get on.
Keep walking the area regularly and calling/ shaking treats for her. Search through bushes, hedges, fields etc. Remember she may be a few feet away from you but just not making herself visible or heard. With so few neighbours it's fortunate that you can make sure everyone keeps an eye out for her too.
Personally until she turns up alive and well, or worst case scenario you find her body, I'd never give up hope. She hasn't just vanished, she is there somewhere and being rural should make finding her easier. Is she microchipped?
Keep walking the area regularly and calling/ shaking treats for her. Search through bushes, hedges, fields etc. Remember she may be a few feet away from you but just not making herself visible or heard. With so few neighbours it's fortunate that you can make sure everyone keeps an eye out for her too.
Personally until she turns up alive and well, or worst case scenario you find her body, I'd never give up hope. She hasn't just vanished, she is there somewhere and being rural should make finding her easier. Is she microchipped?
Superficial said:
She could be laying low, one of ours was missing for 3 days and was only locked in a neighbours garage but for some reason didn't reply to our calls until the 3rd day. We'd walked past that garage countless times just repeatedly searching for her before she called out back to us. This could especially be the case with yours if she is frightened/ spooked. It's unlikely she would have run far from home after a confrontation with a cat she is already familiar with, even if they don't get on.
Keep walking the area regularly and calling/ shaking treats for her. Search through bushes, hedges, fields etc. Remember she may be a few feet away from you but just not making herself visible or heard. With so few neighbours it's fortunate that you can make sure everyone keeps an eye out for her too.
Personally until she turns up alive and well, or worst case scenario you find her body, I'd never give up hope. She hasn't just vanished, she is there somewhere and being rural should make finding her easier. Is she microchipped?
Thanks, we'll just keep looking. She is microchipped but we had a letter from the microchip company a few weeks ago saying there's a chance it's faulty. We're kicking ourselves now for not doing something about it straight away. Keep walking the area regularly and calling/ shaking treats for her. Search through bushes, hedges, fields etc. Remember she may be a few feet away from you but just not making herself visible or heard. With so few neighbours it's fortunate that you can make sure everyone keeps an eye out for her too.
Personally until she turns up alive and well, or worst case scenario you find her body, I'd never give up hope. She hasn't just vanished, she is there somewhere and being rural should make finding her easier. Is she microchipped?
We do have a neighbour who went away for two weeks on Monday. He had his garage open all day. I've managed to get keys from another neighbour today to haves look around and can't see anything. The garage is packed with stuff, probably a triple garage with just room to walk around on one route inside. There werent any faeces on the floor or scratch marks on the door but it's still in my mind that it's too much of a coincidence. I called to her and looked everywhere but nothing.
Might be worth a call to the local vets. If a stray or damaged cat was brought in by somebody they will spread the word. Ours was a stray before we "inherited" him. A couple of weeks indoors to get used to us and the house followed by accompanied walks in the garden seemed to indicate he was ok. But two weeks or so later he disapeared for a couple of days. Then he turned up, muddy and bloody. Vet reckoned he'd had a knock from a vehicle. We thought we'd lost him.
Yours may be laying up so to speak. Try some postcards through peoples doors, etc asking them to keep an eye open.
It's a horrible feeling not knowing what's happened to them. Whatever people say about cats being aloof etc, they do become one of the family.
I hope it turns up.
Yours may be laying up so to speak. Try some postcards through peoples doors, etc asking them to keep an eye open.
It's a horrible feeling not knowing what's happened to them. Whatever people say about cats being aloof etc, they do become one of the family.
I hope it turns up.
One of our cats sometimes disappears for a few days on end, once it was 4 days but he came back 3am one morning, woofed a couple of plates of food down and went to sleep, he also wouldn't go out for a few days so assumed he'd had a bad experience.
The second time he was gone for over a week but he once again turned up in the middle of the night but this time he had some food and went straight back out again. On this occasion there was an old woman who'd been seen in the area trying to catch a cat that looked similar to ours, she kept insisting it was hers so maybe she'd got him and kept him for a few days but either way he came back looking well fed.
What I did find was that the pet microchip company were less than useless as were the local vets who both said there was no way of checking any cats may be ours, what's that all about?
OP although you'll be worried sick, if there's no sign of him being killed then he'll either come back or have found another family to lodge with.
The second time he was gone for over a week but he once again turned up in the middle of the night but this time he had some food and went straight back out again. On this occasion there was an old woman who'd been seen in the area trying to catch a cat that looked similar to ours, she kept insisting it was hers so maybe she'd got him and kept him for a few days but either way he came back looking well fed.
What I did find was that the pet microchip company were less than useless as were the local vets who both said there was no way of checking any cats may be ours, what's that all about?
OP although you'll be worried sick, if there's no sign of him being killed then he'll either come back or have found another family to lodge with.
I'll always try to reply to threads like this - having experienced it once or twice before!
Try not to worry too much, ours has gone missing for 11 days before, he always comes back as if nothing has happened. Though usually with most of a hedgerow attached to him.
As others have said, usually if trapped they are within a few houses radius - its usually easier to hear them respond in the evenings. Don't be worried about calling at peoples garage doors either, i've done all of that! Its entirely possible that wanderlust might have taken over, especially as you live in a rural area. We are quite semi rural and ours will regularly disappear for a few days if he gets the hunting bug. We can tell now as he will sleep for days before going - like preparing himself!
Fingers crossed yours turns up soon, i'm sure she will.
Try not to worry too much, ours has gone missing for 11 days before, he always comes back as if nothing has happened. Though usually with most of a hedgerow attached to him.
As others have said, usually if trapped they are within a few houses radius - its usually easier to hear them respond in the evenings. Don't be worried about calling at peoples garage doors either, i've done all of that! Its entirely possible that wanderlust might have taken over, especially as you live in a rural area. We are quite semi rural and ours will regularly disappear for a few days if he gets the hunting bug. We can tell now as he will sleep for days before going - like preparing himself!
Fingers crossed yours turns up soon, i'm sure she will.
I feel for you OP - one of ours is missing and was gone 3 weeks last Thursday, She's chipped, 3 years old, in lovely condition and very capable of looking after herself. She's done it before but for 2 weeks max - this is longer and its colder. Like you we're rural, but she's been seen down on the 'main' road about a mile away before now so I can't sit complacent. Everyone knows her, but she's not the friendliest of cats to strangers - if she knows you and you know being bitten is her form of affection thats fine but otherwise its not the best greeting! I suspect she's lying up in one of the outbuildings of a farm enjoying peace and quiet and unlimited mice - she doesn't like our No 1 Tom which has caused her some problems and she may just have got fed up with him - tho she dotes on my OH, so I'd have thought that might help.
I really appreciate the replies. It really has shown there is a chance everything's okay and she's having a bit of alone time!
My partner has done postcards in people's houses but there are a few, after speaking to neighbours to find her favourite places, we have missed so we'll do those tonight. There's a path at the back of our house and a couple of walkers have mentioned that they've seen her in fields quite a way from the house about two months ago so it shows how far she'll walk. I remember the first time she stayed out all night after her routine was always to come back by about 11pm, my partner was in tears all night waiting before she strolled in in the morning not having a clue what was wrong so she has the temperament for it.
She's recently gone to sleeping all day to go out at night and come back in the morning, she'd scratch to go out at about midnight if we hadn't let her out so she's not exactly one for routine.
The main thing is we've checked the road and there's nothing there so that can only be a good sign. We're in Tryull, South Staffordshire near a road locally known as the 'rabbit run' and the cats a very strangely marked black, brown and ginger tortoiseshell, just in case there's anyone local.
http://www.nationalpetregister.org/mp/44874.htm
Thanks again for the comments, it really helps.
My partner has done postcards in people's houses but there are a few, after speaking to neighbours to find her favourite places, we have missed so we'll do those tonight. There's a path at the back of our house and a couple of walkers have mentioned that they've seen her in fields quite a way from the house about two months ago so it shows how far she'll walk. I remember the first time she stayed out all night after her routine was always to come back by about 11pm, my partner was in tears all night waiting before she strolled in in the morning not having a clue what was wrong so she has the temperament for it.
She's recently gone to sleeping all day to go out at night and come back in the morning, she'd scratch to go out at about midnight if we hadn't let her out so she's not exactly one for routine.
The main thing is we've checked the road and there's nothing there so that can only be a good sign. We're in Tryull, South Staffordshire near a road locally known as the 'rabbit run' and the cats a very strangely marked black, brown and ginger tortoiseshell, just in case there's anyone local.
http://www.nationalpetregister.org/mp/44874.htm
Thanks again for the comments, it really helps.
sebdangerfield said:
She's just walked in!
I'd just pressed return and heard her at the door. She's skinny but otherwise okay I think.
Literally as soon as I'd typed the last message! She's a pistonheader!
Thanks again everyone, a week away!
Result. Nice to hear. Does she have a hangover, or perchance brought a straw donkey back from her holidays?I'd just pressed return and heard her at the door. She's skinny but otherwise okay I think.
Literally as soon as I'd typed the last message! She's a pistonheader!
Thanks again everyone, a week away!
TheHeretic said:
Result. Nice to hear. Does she have a hangover, or perchance brought a straw donkey back from her holidays?
A big tattoo on her face a tiger in her hotel bathroom and now best mates with mike tyson! I'd love to know what happened to her.I can't believe it. I'm not really sure what to do now?
I fed her and she wen't mad for another, meowed like I've never heard before for another packet and now just chilling like nothing's happened! I'm going to let her settle and check her over properly. I'm guessing a trip to the vets? I'm looking at cat GPS now!
TheHeretic said:
Not sure a trip to the vets is necessary. She is probably just hungry, and will go to sleep when satisfied. Just give her a big bowl so she can eat if she wants, fresh water, and see how she is in the morning.
She's just climbed onto our bed and is snoozing now. What a difference five minutes makes!I'll check her over and see what happens.
Thanks again everyone.
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